Novelist. Husband. Volunteer.

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November 2nd, 2004

A short story about a day we will never forget

180 kids go to our school. Out of these kids, 2 will be able to vote on November 2nd. If only 2 of us are able to make our opinion useful, then why do we seem so involved? Each one of us, ages 13-18, seem to have a firm opinion on who they want for the next 4 years, whether they voice it or not. Is it our ignorance of youth that keep our opinion so firm or is that just politics?

“How can you support a man who started a war for no reason?”

“He had a reason. He wanted to get rid of a dictator that tortured and killed his own citizens.”

Caje and Echo. Two seniors at Union Colony Preparatory School. Caje was the liberal. Echo was the conservative.

“There are several dictators around the world that do that-”

“-Name one.”

“I don’t know…but how can you trust a guy to start a war who can’t even pronounce the word nuclear?”

“Come on, what’s with the cheap shots?”

Caje was the one that cracked jokes at every opportunity. Echo was the one that laughed nervously.

“And anyway, only 1,000 Americans have died. There have been far worse wars. Even September 11th took 3 time that much.

“That’s 1000 American deaths. It’s estimated that up to 30,000 Iraqi’s have died up to this point.”

I’m sure Saddam would have killed a lot more if we hadn’t stepped in.”

No debates about the president have ever actually ended. At our school it was usually the end of class, an angry teacher, or ignorance that ended a debate. But this was Mrs. Opp’s class. That means that no angry teacher or ignorance would stop a debate. She was the liberal teacher that didn’t care to keep her mouth shut. About half the students loved her class, which made sense. Over the past two months, endless debate had ignited in her classroom. She had never stopped one, even if work needed to be done. Just like most around her, this debate ended with the end of class.

“Come on. Anything humans do nowadays isn’t natural. We got product in our hair, doctors opening bodies to right the wrong, and the perfect way to go everywhere is by riding around in a steel cage. And if you meant unnatural as in sex, you might as well look at how the straight do it. You have condoms, butt-fucks, and even B.J.’s. As long as you have a tool and a hole, humans seem to be happy. Being gay is just unnatural as the rest of life is.”

“…It’s been scientifically proven that it’s unnatural for a man to love a man or a woman to love a woman. It’s just chemically impossible!”

“Stop making up facts. You know that science knows slim-to-none about the brain and even less about love. If you want to see proof just find a gay couple that’s been together for a while, or are you too afraid?”

“”Maybe I am to afraid. It’s just like the Bible says-”

“-Screw the Bible”

It’s amazing how alike people can be until they’re ripping out each other’s throats about politics. It seems to turn you into a monster that is nothing like you. The trick is to tame that monster until he’s one with you.

“What makes you think that Kerry will be any better?”

“He may not be what everybody wants but at least he won’t go off starting wars while allowing his own country to fall apart.

Kurt, the politically quiet Kerry-Basher. Laura, the politically quiet Bush-Basher. But on a day like this during a time like this, no one can keep their silence.

“The wars in the Middle-East are making us safer-”

“-Safer? There’s terrorist attacks everyday because of those wars and-”

“But they don’t even surmount to the numbers lost in 9/11, there’s-”

“-WHAT?!?! There’s been thousands more deaths compared to 3,000.”

Debates like this just never seem to make sense. Why doesn’t the other side see what you see? Sometimes you just give up and are just happy that after today, everything is decided.

“In the wake of the 2000 elections, all major news broadcasters have vowed not to call a state until the 7pm deadline is reached. So, all the excitement will begin at 7pm Easter Standard Time. This is CNN, the most trusted name in news.”